Packaging – Tri-Phase Automation

How Pharma Is Automating Traceability and Quality Assurance with Machine Vision

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Tue, 07 May 2024 20:16:34 +0000

As the pharmaceutical industry prepares for the FDA’s new DSCSA compliance rules this November, and as companies look to boost manufacturing productivity, quality and safety, machine vision technology is playing a crucial role. Machine vision sensors, which automatically scan barcodes and capture and analyze images of products and packaging, are helping pharmaceutical businesses not only track and trace all their products, cartons, and pallets but also maintain digital records of their physical movement, as required by the new DSCSA standards. Companies are also taking the opportunity to use these same technologies to automate more of their production and packaging processes, and to inspect each product and package automatically and visually for quality assurance. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the latest machine vision sensors and software from Zebra. We’ll explore how they’re used to meet pharmaceutical compliance and traceability requirements as well as to automate production and quality processes, and we’ll look at how Zebra’s innovative approach to machine vision makes it far easier and more affordable to add or expand industrial automation in your pharmaceutical operations. Let’s start by exploring how Zebra machine vision sensors are being used to meet the upcoming DSCSA final rules from the FDA.

Meeting DSCSA Requirements with Machine Vision Automation

Zebra machine vision sensors are small, compact yet rugged devices that have two crucial capabilities, and the first is that they’re able to automatically scan and inspect GS1 barcodes, including 1D and 2D barcodes. This allows pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors to install machine vision sensors on production and conveyor lines or anywhere that products are moving through processes, and the sensors can scan barcodes on moving products or packages, to capture and analyze every barcode at extremely high speeds. As barcodes are captured, they’re used to instantly identify each product or label, and they can be used to verify a product’s authenticity, to ensure correct labeling and packaging, and to document its status and location for DSCSA compliance purposes. This is crucial because the DSCSA final rules include the Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPICS) rule, which requires that each pharmaceutical must be serialized according to the GS1 barcode standard. This allows pharma companies and others in the supply chain to identify and track which serialized product is in which carton and which carton is in each case and on every pallet. Each product’s physical movement must also be tracked, and all resulting aggregation data must accompany each shipment between trading partners. Zebra machine vision sensors and software are able to capture and transmit all the required serialization and unique identification information to your industrial and other business systems. They can also work together with your systems to log time stamps and locations for each product or package. This means you can automatically trace products, packages, cartons, cases and pallets that are moving through your manufacturing, packaging and distribution operations, and you can maintain a digital record of every event and location for DSCSA compliance. Pharmacies can also use machine vision sensors to achieve real-time visibility into prescription stock, reduce manual data entry requirements and collect accurate dose-level data for all products. This data can help pharmacies decommission expired or damaged stock.

Using Machine Vision to Automate Production Processes and Visual Inspections

Zebra machine vision sensors are also able to capture up to 16 images of a product, label or package in a single event, each with its own settings and automated analysis. This means you can use them to capture and analyze images of products to inspect for size, shape, color, uniformity, and potential contaminants and defects. You can also instantly detect issues with packages, dates, lot codes, labels, seals and caps. You can also set up automated visual inspections of labels and packaging to ensure the right products are going into the right packages with the right label and information, right down to recognizing specific strings of text characters with optical character recognition (OCR). Additionally, Zebra’s sensors are able to help you automatically count, route and sort products moving through your production processes. The sensors can identify them visually and instantly transmit corresponding information to your industrial automation or robotic systems, so products of one type can be automatically routed to the correct diverter line to go into specific packaging. Products of other types can also be recognized automatically and routed accordingly. Machine vision can also be used to visually inspect products and packaging to ensure the right items are included in blister packs or cartons, and to check whether the right inserts are included in a box or carton.

An Easier and More Affordable Approach to Industrial Automation

Ultimately, the potential applications of Zebra machine vision technology are virtually limitless. But perhaps the best aspect of Zebra machine vision sensors and software is that they’re a huge leap forward simplicity, accessibility and affordability. In the past, setting up machine vision sensors or smart cameras meant using different hardware and software, often from different providers, for different types of jobs. Sensors were often not very easy to use, and the software was typically much worse, with outdated and clunky interfaces that made everything more time-consuming and difficult. This is why Zebra introduced its own platform for industrial automation. After decades of working with global customers to provide data capture and mobile computing solutions such as barcode scanners, RFID technologies, and handheld computers, Zebra heard many complaints about industrial automation technologies and set out to enter the space and deliver the kinds of solutions customers desperately needed. The end result was the introduction of a singular platform for both machine vision and fixed industrial scanning, with plug-and-play sensors and one software application to set up and configure every job. Instead of buying different hardware and software and having to learn and deal with it all, Zebra provides a single set of sensors and a single software application that have been designed from the ground up to be so easy to use that beginners can get up and running in no time. But the automated image capture and analysis tools are extremely sophisticated, with the ability to use lighting, lensing, filters, object location, pattern recognition, edge detection, and even pixel counts and blob analysis to conduct extremely precise inspections with machine accuracy. Using some sliders, radio buttons and simple drop-down menus in Zebra’s Aurora Focus software, plus Zebra’s AutoTune tool, users can set up sophisticated machine vision image capture and analysis in as little as a few minutes. Devices can be connected to industrial networks and systems via TCP/IP, Serial, Profinet/Modbus, or CC Link protocols, and they can be connected to a monitor, other devices and systems via USB-C, dual Ethernet and hardwired GPIO inputs/outputs. There are also flexible power options, with the choice of USB-C, 24V or Power over the Ethernet (PoE). Once your sensors and jobs are configured, they handle all your scanning and inspections automatically, with simple pass/fail or other analysis results sent to your systems and automated exception alerts in the event of an issue. You also have the option to securely save images and results to the cloud for sharing, analysis and post-processing. And you can output your scanning or visual inspection results to a monitor if desired, with no need for a separate PC for output. Best of all, Zebra’s innovative approach to machine vision saves up to thousands of dollars in costs, by reducing the amount of hardware and software you need to buy and eliminating the need for computers or workstations as part of your system.

To learn more about automating pharmaceutical traceability, production and quality assurance with machine vision, reach out to our industrial automation experts at Tri-Phase Automation for a free consultation.

As automation specialists for over 30 years, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses unlock better productivity, quality and traceability through machine vision, motion, safety, robotics, sensors, remote connectivity and industrial PCs. We can help you do the same, contact us now to get started.

Optical Character Recognition Without Text Training: Zebra’s OCR Revolution

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:08:15 +0000

Optical character recognition (OCR) is fast becoming a key part of manufacturing and packaging quality assurance, as more companies use advanced cameras and sensors to recognize text characters and information automatically and verify correct parts, assemblies, finished goods, labels and product packaging.

However, as OCR technology has made its way into production and packaging processes, one of the biggest challenges has been training cameras and sensors to read, recognize and extract the right characters, especially when dealing with low-contrast, poor lighting and confusing backgrounds. These conditions can make it hard for cameras and sensors to read characters, and even if they can, training them to do so is often a time-consuming task.

Deep-Learning Optical Character Recognition Revolution

But now there has been a big breakthrough in OCR technology with Zebra’s introduction of its machine vision sensors and Aurora Focus software. These solutions use Zebra’s Deep-Learning OCR to automatically extract text and information from images without text training. They automatically adapt to different fonts, characters, contrast, lighting and backgrounds, and they provide extremely reliable reads with machine accuracy and precision.

Instead of having to train and retrain your cameras or sensors to recognize different fonts or text, you simply use Zebra’s Aurora Focus software to draw a box around an image that your sensor has captured, and you tell the software to read, recognize and extract the characters. Zebra’s software then teaches its own algorithms, and you can set thresholds to help it differentiate between different character strings such as mathematical or alphanumeric characters, and to account for different sizes or spacing.

Sensors and Software Teach Themselves

Since Zebra’s sensors and software train themselves, they learn and adapt almost instantly, and they can start reading and extracting the right text and information in just a few minutes. Zebra’s sensor captures the image, and the software and algorithms do the rest. They instantly recognize and extract the right text and information, even at high-speeds, from components, finished goods, labels or packages, even if they’re moving rapidly on conveyors.

This faster and simpler approach to OCR means you won’t end up spending hours, days or weeks trying to get your cameras or sensors to recognize a new font, capture a letter, or character that’s skewed, rotated, stretched or compressed. The sensors and software teach themselves, so you don’t have to train them.

Additionally, the initial OCR setup with Zebra is extremely simple, even for a beginner who has never worked with industrial automation sensors. Zebra’s Aurora Focus software provides a truly modern and streamlined user experience, with simple and automated tools, radio buttons, sliders and drop-down menus to define every job and adjust every setting. It also includes built-in videos and tutorials to walk you through all of its machine vision and fixed scanning capabilities, so you can actually learn as you go.

Single Platform

Zebra’s machine vision sensors also offer a massive array of additional capabilities, far beyond OCR. Its plug-and-play sensors provide machine vision and fixed industrial scanning capabilities from a single hardware and software platform, so you don’t need to buy and learn different smart cameras and sensors from different companies to get the results you need.

Instead, you can use the same sensors to scan barcodes, capture DPMs, perform sophisticated visual analysis and automate everything from manufacturing traceability to routing, counting and sorting; label and packaging checks; and visual inspections.

To cover this wide range of applications and use cases, Zebra’s sensors and software offer a full complement of powerful tools, including the following capabilities:

1D/2D barcode and DPM scanning
Object location
Pixel counting
Brightness detection
Contrast detection
Edge detection
Distance measurement
Pattern recognition
Caliper tools
Circle finding
Filters
OCV/flaw recognition

All of these capabilities are available from one hardware and software platform, so you don’t need to buy separate devices or software applications. You also don’t have to go through multiple learning curves to get the results you need.

With Zebra’s sensors and software, everything has been consolidated and simplified, so it’s faster, less complicated, and less expensive to get your industrial automation jobs up and running. Most of all, though, you can count on extremely reliable results, which will help you ensure the highest quality in your manufacturing and packaging.

To learn more about Zebra machine vision and its Deep-Learning OCR, visit our Zebra industrial automation.

Automated Packaging Inspections for Better Quality and Labor Savings

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:44:39 +0000

Sometimes a product’s package doesn’t get the same attention as the product’s actual design or manufacturing, but when that package is a customer’s first interaction with your product or brand, it can mean everything. The wrong packaging, label, or date; a missing label; or poor package or label quality can create a negative experience with your brand, and it can create embarrassing or even dangerous mix-ups for you and your customers.

This is why many companies are implementing or expanding automated packaging inspections to automatically inspect, verify and match the right package for every product. In a world where customers are demanding increasingly better product quality and safety, and regulatory requirements are expanding as a result, it’s more important than ever to focus on your packaging and not just your products.

A Smart Way to Automate Packaging Inspections

One effective way to do this is by using machine vision and fixed industrial scanning technology in your packaging operations. You can install small but rugged sensors that can not only capture 1D and 2D barcodes and hi-resolution images but also conduct instantaneous and automated packaging checks with machine precision.

For example, using Zebra’s hardware and software platform for machine vision and fixed scanning, you can capture and inspect images at high speeds and automatically detect everything from a label that’s missing or has the wrong use-by date to incorrect information or poor print quality on individual, inner, or outer product packaging.

You can also verify that the correct products are matched with the right packaging, check dates and lot codes, inspect labels and packaging for correct content, and check kits or assemblies to ensure the correct components are included. You can also use Zebra’s sensors to track and trace products as they move through your production processes, so they can be automatically routed down the right packaging lines and matched to the right packages.

For example, you can capture barcodes to identify different product boxes travelling on the same conveyor and automatically route each type of box to a specific diverter line so a robot can package and palletize it.

Additionally, Zebra’s sensors are able to detect problems with products themselves, such as contamination, defects and non-conformity or incorrect assemblies, missing components, incorrect shape or colors, and a virtually limitless number of other possibilities.

It all happens with the precision of machine vision and automation, which is able to detect issues that are often invisible or unnoticeable to the human eye, or impossible to check manually on high-speed production lines. By combining high-performance sensors, intelligent algorithms, and the right combination of lighting, lensing, and filters, you can capture the right barcodes and images you need, even in industrial environments with low light and with products and packaging moving on high-speed conveyors.

Importantly, you can do all of this automatically, letting the sensors and Zebra’s software do all the work. They capture each image, analyze it, and send pass/fail results to your industrial systems, with optional alerts to instantly indicate when a failure occurs. They also help you maintain a digital record of any result, should you need to review an image and investigate a particular problem.

How Packaging Inspections Setups Work with Zebra Solutions

To get a packaging inspection job up and running, you just install the Zebra sensor, power it via 24VDC, USB-C or PoE, and connect it to your industrial networks and systems via USB-C, Serial or Ethernet. Each device includes support for Ethernet, ProfiNet, CC-Link, ModBus and TCP/IP. You also set up any external or modular integrated lighting, liquid lens or C-mount lens you might need.

Zebra’s Aurora Focus software helps you through the setup process, with extremely easy-to-use tools, automated configuration and adjustments that are as simple as clicking on a button or moving a slider in your software.

The software includes built-in videos and guided tutorials so you can learn as you go, and all you need is one Zebra device and its one software application to enable and set up either machine vision or fixed scanning. Each sensor has both capabilities, and you can start with fixed scanning and unlock the machine vision capabilities with a simple software license upgrade.

Everything is plug-and-play, and once you’re capturing and analyzing the images you need, the rest is automated for you. That means you don’t have to have workers conducting manual packaging checks or relying on the human eye, which can easily miss problems, especially at high speeds. Instead, you can save labor and cost by needing fewer workers involved in your packaging processes, and you can reallocate existing resources to other tasks.

Learning More About Automated Packaging Inspections

At Tri-Phase Automation, we’ve been working with Zebra, Matrox Imaging and other packaging inspection and industrial automation technologies and software for over 25 years. As experts in this space, we can help you evaluate some of the latest innovations in packaging and product inspection and recommend strategies, tips and solutions to help you automate more of your processes and boost quality control.

To learn more, check out our Zebra industrial automation page, to schedule a consultation with us to get started. We’d be glad to help you explore the possibilities and see what might work best for your business.

Automating Food and Beverage Traceability, Inspections and Quality with Zebra

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:30:47 +0000

In an increasingly regulated and competitive industry, food and beverage companies are facing unprecedented pressure to keep up with growing demand while ensuring the highest product quality and safety. After all, a high-quality product helps grow sales and build customer loyalty, but a food recall or an outbreak of foodborne illness can easily wipe out a lot of the goodwill and business you’ve built up.

This is why more and more food and beverage companies are turning to automation technologies to help them streamline their product manufacturing and packaging, as well as automate their traceability and quality inspections.

In this article, we’ll take a look at an exciting new portfolio of machine vision and fixed industrial scanning technologies that is helping automate many of these processes—from product tracking and traceability to counting, routing, sorting, visual inspections, packaging checks and robotic palletization.

Zebra’s Breakthrough Technologies for Automation and Inspection

A few years ago, Zebra Technologies, a leader in data capture, scanning, RFID and mobile computing solutions, began working with leading companies across different industries to come up with a new and improved way to automate key production and packaging processes as well as quality control.

The end result was a new portfolio of advanced machine vision and fixed scanning devices that helps automate a huge list of potential manufacturing, processing and packaging tasks. Zebra’s devices do it with hardware and software that’s incredibly simple to use and connects seamlessly with industrial networks and systems.

For example, with Zebra fixed industrial scanners, you can automatically scan and trace food and beverage products throughout your manufacturing, packaging and inspections. Digital and automated traceability have become increasingly crucial as regulatory rules and requirements have expanded in the interest of protecting customers from foodborne illness, but it’s also a great strategy for improved quality control and for avoiding potentially damaging and costly recalls.

Track Tace and Verify Products and Packaging

By being able to automatically track, trace and verify every correct ingredient, product and package that’s moving through your operations, you can ensure the right products of the right quality are getting into the right packages and eventually to your customers. You can also be instantly alerted to a potential issue before it moves downstream and creates a negative impact, and before it gets to customers. It also helps you maintain digital records of every item at every stage, in the event you need to track down or investigate a problem.

Fixed scanners, for example, can be installed at key points on high-speed conveyor lines to verify that the correct products are moving down the line, in the correct packaging and with the right labels applied.

Ultimately, if your items have a 1D or 2D barcode, Zebra’s fixed industrial scanners can capture it and use it to help automate and streamline virtually any process. Potential food and beverage applications include the following:

Correct product checks
Date and lot code checks
Seasonal or time-sensitive packaging checks
Automated counting, routing and sorting
End-to-end production and packaging traceability

Intelligent Visual Inspection

Zebra’s fixed scanners do this at high speeds with advanced imaging and lensing, optics, and lighting to help capture barcodes reliably in virtually any environment, even in low light or with barcodes against busy backgrounds or with low contrast. But Zebra’s technology isn’t just able to scan barcodes. Each device is also a sophisticated machine vision sensor, and with a simple software license upgrade, you can unlock a world of added capabilities for intelligent visual inspections:

Presence/absence checks
Bottle cap skew checks
Seal inspection
Tamper band inspection
Fill level checks
Color, shape or non-uniformity issues
Foreign material or defect detection
Product dimension measurements
Label or packaging print quality verification
Verification of print/label position and orientation

Machine Vision Software

Zebra’s fixed scanning and machine vision sensors come with Zebra’s Aurora Focus software, which offers a wide array of powerful tools to set up these and many other jobs, and automatically perform highly sophisticated visual analysis. The Aurora Focus software toolset includes these key capabilities:

Object location
Illumination
Lensing and optics
Filters
Focus and exposure
Pattern recognition
Edge detection
Blob analysis and pixel counts

All of these capabilities allow Zebra’s devices to automatically perform precise visual inspections that are far beyond the abilities of the human eye and most other technologies. It also means your production workers don’t have to handle the laborious and tiresome task of looking for products or packaging issues manually. They can focus on other value-added tasks while Zebra’s devices instantly capture and analyze barcodes and images to determine pass/fail results, maintain digital records of every tracking or inspection event, transmit it to your systems, and issue instant and automated alerts in the event of a failure or problem.

Massively Simplified Job Setup with One Hardware and Software

A key advantage to Zebra’s solutions is that they provide both fixed scanning and machine vision through a single hardware and software platform. In the past, when food and beverage manufacturers wanted to implement machine vision or fixed scanning, you often had to combine different hardware and software solutions from different providers, and often their technologies and software were clunky, difficult to learn, and a hassle to get up and running.

When moving into the industrial automation space, Zebra listened closely to the feedback and frustration from the plant personnel and IT teams that had to deal with these headaches. As a result, Zebra invented a massively simplified way to do it all.

Now you can install a small but rugged sensor, virtually anywhere on your production lines, and get it powered up, connected and configured with plug-and-play simplicity and a single hardware and software platform that makes everything as easy as using a few sliders and buttons in your software to configure each job.

Zebra’s intelligent sensors and its software and algorithms do the rest, providing many automated tools and adjustments that help you start capturing and analyzing the right barcodes or images quickly and easily, with little to no learning curve. There are even built-in videos and tutorials to walk you through the process, so you can learn as you go..

How to Learn More About Zebra Machine Vision and Fixed Scanning

If you’re not already using machine vision or fixed industrial scanners in your food and beverage operations, or you’re using outdated, clunky or limited solutions that are making it harder to get the results you need, it’s a good idea to check out Zebra’s offering in more detail and schedule a consultation with our team to find out more about this new platform and whether it’s the right fit for you.

You can start by visiting our Zebra industrial automation page, to learn more or contacting our industrial automation experts at Tri-Phase to schedule an online discovery call at your convenience.

When a label is more than just a label

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 16:07:00 +0000

CODIMAG Label Printing Machine equipped with a Remote Access system from Ewon by HMS Network

CODIMAG, a label printing machine provider based in France has more than 400 machines in operation all over the world. By remotely monitoring their machines with a remote access system from Ewon, the label printing machine builder was able to increase productivity and uptime for their customers, while cutting in maintenance costs.

The Challenge

Maintaining their machine performance from overseas was a real challenge for CODIMAG. Often the customer needs their idle machine fixed quickly as possible. This results in high urgent travel expenses costing thousands of dollars, even for a short trip. In addition, while the engineers are away, new projects at CODIMAG are delayed and new designs postponed. As a result, it was important for CODIMAG to find a solution that can help them improve productivity for their customers and their engineering team efficiency.

The Solution – A Remote Access System from Ewon by HMS Network

CODIMAG began using the Ewon remote access system with a machine installed in Brazil. They felt they could provide better and more cost-effective service to their customer by installing the Ewon device to the automation side of the press. This allowed CODIMAG to understand all the issues with the press without booking a flight to the site. The customer experienced more productivity and uptime; they found themselves making fewer service call trips.

How It Works

Remote access of equipment in the field has long been the dream of automation professionals. Until now issues with speed, reliability of connection and security put this dream just out of reach, but Ewon’s unique product solves those issues. Using the internet and a fully secure SSL-based VPN tunnel for all traffic. The information exchanged during the communication is encrypted via SSL (2048-bit key) allowing only authenticated users to connect. Ewon’s free utility Talk2M uses a managed, hybrid, layered cyber security approach to protect its devices and network. More importantly, the system protects the customers’ internal network from malicious attacks on their industrial systems.

Improving Productivity

The initial experience with the system in Brazil impressed CODIMAG enough for them to make the determination to provide Ewon remote access with every machine sent to the field. The devices are easy to use, and engineers can get a system up and running the first time in less than 20 minutes. Gathering detailed information remotely allows the CODIMAG support team to solve the issue 80 percent of the time in a matter of minutes rather than days without the trip expense.

Benefits

ABILITY TO REACT QUICKLY AND INCREASE MACHINE PRODUCTIVITY
DECREASE TRAVEL BY 80%
OFFERS ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES ON EACH MACHINE

Read the full success story on Ewon’s site: When a label is more than just a label

We are a distributor of Ewon by HMS Network. We can help you get started with a remote access system solution or provide you with a quote.

Bulk Palletizing With Robotic Technology

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 19:46:35 +0000

A manufacturer of tile and stucco adhesives in Mexico, Grupo Fortec, was looking to implement a bulk palletizing system with robotic technology for roughly 44 and 88 lbs. of ceramic adhesive packages. Previously, the handling and packaging of this material was a manual process. Now, the manufacturer was exploring for a way to fully automate the process, to improve productivity, and keep their employees safe.

The Bulk Palletizing Solution

A production line is comprised of two automatic packaging machines, a chain extraction belt system, a weighing solution, bag positioners and roller conveyors. Plus, a robotic cell with an articulated arm and a load capacity of around 175 lbs. was added for handling the bulk products with an adjustable gripper that fits the dimensions of the two bag sizes. For the control side, PLCs, HMIs, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and other required components were networked across this distributed discrete and analog system through CC-Link IE Field.

The Benefits of the Robotic Application Solution

A robotic application was built according to the requirements of the plant in collaboration with Koatli Industrial Engineering. Moreover, the solution allowed them to increase production by 30%, a with savings up to 20% of total operating costs. In addition, the system has the capacity to increase production as demand increases.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation Solution:

RV-F Series Large Format Robot
Q-Series Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
GOT Series industrial Human Machine Interface (HMI)
FR Series Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)
CC-Link IE Field

Read the full Mitsubishi Electric application story: Grupo Fortec Case Study

We are an authorized Mitsubishi Electric distributor partner in Wisconsin and Illinois.
We can help get your questions answered or provide you with a quote!

Feeder engineered to deliver more with Mitsubishi Electric components

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 20:56:11 +0000

Streamfeeder, by BW Integrated Systems, is known for feeding solutions. When the components on their best-selling feeder were being obsoleted, they began looking for servo drive and PLC replacements. The feeder’s footprint was small; therefore, they decided to use a Mitsubishi Electric MR-J4-B Servo Drive. A Mitsubishi Rep convinced them to also go with a Mitsubishi Electric FX5U PLC and HMI making it a better, smarter, more innovative and profitable feeder.

Engineered to Deliver More

Because the entire control system is made up of advanced Mitsubishi Electric components, Streamfeeder was able to do more than increase torque and performance. The new feeder also delivers new capabilities including:

WiFi connectivity – Operators can set-up, adjust and troubleshoot the feeder anywhere on the production line — from a phone, tablet or laptop. That means throughput, downtime and runtime decisions can be made more quickly.
Job library – Operators don’t have to look up jobs, re-enter parameters or worry about making a mistake. They simply select a job name and push a button.
Real-time diagnostics – Management, operators and maintenance personnel can efficiently track productivity, quality and efficiency in real-time
Preventive maintenance – The system tracks cycles and reminds users to perform specific tasks such as replacing the belts. Maintenance personnel can perform diagnostics and look at performance over the past hour, shift, day or year.

Components used:

MR-J4-B Servo Drive, FX5U PLC and HMI

Smart Decision Pays Big Dividends

The decision to do more than simply update the system is paying big dividends. By building it better, Streamfeeder was able to leapfrog the competition.

Read the full Mitsubishi case story Smart Decision Pays Big Dividends

Tri-Phase Automation/IMAC is a Mitsubishi Electric distributor. We can help answer you questions or provide a quote.

Seiko, packing its machines with new added value

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 16:22:20 +0000

A customer success story from Ewon

Seiko, a packaging machine builder located in Japan, manufactures packaging and bottling machines in a wide range of industrial applications such as food, drinks, cosmetics, toiletry, chemical and pharmaceutical. When infrequent unplanned maintenance occurs, their automation engineers would have to rush to the customer’s rescue, even when the factory is located abroad. As a result, Seiko engineers realized how useful it would be to remotely troubleshoot their machines. An enormous amount of money, time and effort could be saved, while providing faster support to their customers!

Seiko quickly realized how Ewon could be a game changer for them. “A few years ago, we tried using a famous remote desktop solution, but our IT department required that we switch to a more secure solution That is when we discovered Ewon, which fulfilled all our needs in terms of convenience, performance and security!” stated Mr. Iga Hisato, Head of the Technology Development Division.

Operational efficiency with Ewon Remote Connectivity

With Ewon, the machine builder can now equip its machines with a secure remote connectivity solution, approved by their IT department. It is also well-received by their customers, who are reassured by the fact that the security of Ewon’s solution is regularly audited and certified by several specialized third party organizations.

Easy Set-up

Especially impressive is how easy and fast it is to get up and running with the solution. The complete installation of an Ewon gateway and its registration to Ewon’s Talk2M global VPN service can be done in a matter of minutes. It became even easier since the introduction of the “Easy Setup” feature, which allows to automatically configure a gateway through a USB drive or SD card. All Ewon gateways can connect to the Internet via an Ethernet LAN, if available, but Seiko usually selects an Ewon gateway with a backup WiFi connectivity. By doing this, they are sure that even if using a LAN is not possible, a successful wireless connection will be possible by asking someone on site to turn on the hotspot feature of a smartphone or mobile router. Using Ewon’s solution, Seiko remotely connects to the Mitsubishi Electric PLCs and HMIs controlling their machines, for troubleshooting.

Thanks to Ewon, it is easy to make machines IIoT ready for the future

They has built a robust remote monitoring service based on Ewon’s Talk2M service, allowing to easily visualize the performance of the machines at any time, from anywhere and from any device, even a smartphone. This is a perfect match with the “GOT Mobile” service from Mitsubishi Electric, if the machine is equipped with a compatible HMI. Seiko is also exploring the advanced features of the Ewon Flexy gateway, which can collect data from PLCs or sensors and display it on a local webdashboard, or make it available to an IT system. With this remote monitoring service, Seiko’s customers can check the performance of their equipment, analyze the cause of failures and optimize their production and processes, as well as the quality of their products. This is just the start. “Thanks to Ewon, it is really easy to make our machines IIoT-ready. In the short-term, it immediately provides an excellent return on investment for us and our customers. On the longer run, our machines equipped with an Ewon Flexy are ready to support any future IIoT projects we might decide to build”. Said Mr. Iga.

Tri-Phase Automation is a distributor of HMS/Ewon. Contact us to learn more about remote connectivity solutions.

Energy Efficiency Using Variable Frequency Drives

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:34:41 +0000

Electric motors are widely used in industries for industrial pumps, conveyors, compressed air systems, electric fans and more. Unfortunately, most of these motors either run at full speed or not at all. Since the speed cannot be altered on their own; these motors tend to use more electricity as a result. Industries can drive energy efficiency by using Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) in industrial and commercial applications.

Tremendous Energy and Cost-Saving Potential

VFDs can reduce needless power consumption in many industrial and commercial applications by varying the speed (or frequency) of motors. VFDs are being widely adopted across a variety of industries including water, wastewater, food & beverage, mining, and oil & gas.

Essentially any application that uses motors to drive fans and pumps can find considerable savings when energy efficient VFDs are used. This is especially the case with HVAC systems in commercial buildings. These systems account for more than 40% of total energy use in the U.S.

For industries looking to comply with government’s new energy-efficiency standards or establish an energy-efficient system to reduce operational costs. VFDs are a fantastic way to do it. They can gain energy efficiency using Variable Frequency Drives

The FR-E800 Variable Frequency Drives from Mitsubishi Electric are designed to save energy and minimize cost with the ability to auto-tune IM and PM motors. We are a distributor partner of Mitsubishi Electric in Wisconsin and Illinois. Contact us and let us help you drive energy efficiency with variable frequency drives.

Validated high speed capping

FCG_AdminTriPhase — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 22:28:11 +0000

A major filling company turned to SMAC to help them develop a new, cost-effective way for capping containers at high speeds. The goal was to achieve tighter, 100% validatable tolerances for on-torque as well as validate off-torque. Furthermore, the solution needed to be highly flexible to accommodate the large variety of caps and containers run on the line. Improving speed, productivity and quality were additional high priorities.

The Solution

LAR Series linear-rotary actuators from SMAC provide the perfect technology for improving capping quality while cost-effectively providing 100% real time on and off torque validation. Built-in force, torque, speed and stroke control and feedback can be used to optimize the process without need for additional external sensors and checking stations.

Read the full application solution from SMAC:

Case Study – Validated High Speed Capping